


The Burning Heat

by wingedblue



Series: Percico Snuggles [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Romance, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4956016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedblue/pseuds/wingedblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Part 2 of "The Biting Cold")</p>
<p>Waking up after unexpected snuggles is really awkward. Nico wants to get away from Percy, but not really. Percy just wants to figure Nico out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Burning Heat

**Author's Note:**

> H O L Y SHIT MY FRIENDS AFTER TWO YEARS, HERE WE ARE. I SAID I WAS WRITING A SEQUAL AND FUCK YEAH HERE IT IS. Shoutout to those of you who left kudos on The Biting Cold/Break This Spell and those of you who bothered me for a sequel. I love you more than space, and I really love space. You the real MVPs. 
> 
> This part is very Percy's POV. I'm not really sure what 'verse this is, because the seven wasn't a thing, but camp half-blood and camp jupiter are still bros. 
> 
> HUGE MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MY ~~RIDICULOUS~~ AWESOME BETA [MR--SCRATCH](mr--scratch.tumblr.com)

Percy woke up to sharp elbows in his side. Thick, wavy, black hair that smelled like New York City after rain tickled his mouth and nose. It took him a moment to remember where exactly he was, and who exactly he was snuggling oh-so-very-closely with. 

Hotel, right. 

Nico, _right._

Percy took a deep breath and tried to slowly detangle himself from the younger teen without waking him up. He was so warm and soft, even if he was kind of bony. So comfortable, almost like-- 

"Sorry for not moving earlier," Nico blurted into the cool morning air. Percy startled; he'd thought the son of Hades was still asleep. He silently thanks the god of awkward boners that he didn't wake up with morning wood pressing into Nico's butt. 

"Uh, no problem." He coughed and turned over, rubbing his eyes. "Uh, how long were you awake?"

"Like five minutes or so. I didn't want to wake you up."

"Oh. Tha’s considerate of you," he slurred, yawning. The chill from the previous night was long gone; instead, the air felt rather humid and pleasantly warm. _What a weird night,_ Percy thought. He knew he should get up, they needed to get going, but he felt heavy and lethargic. His limbs might’ve been made of lead. And the bed was so soft and warm, anyway… 

A few moments later he realized, though the bed was warm and soft, it also contained a very awkward and tense Nico. That got him up and moving a little faster out of consideration. Nico’d been so uncomfortable with the notion the previous day, so he figured he should end the poor kid’s suffering. Although, he didn’t seem to be moving much, so maybe he’d gotten over some of those personal space issues. 

Even with a sluggish start, they were up and ready to go by seven thirty. Their complimentary breakfast was an apple, a to-go box of cereal, and a mini carton of milk. Instead of wasting time, they packed everything up, grabbed the food, and ate it on their way out. The person at the desk pointed them to the interstate and gave them a map. It was Nico’s idea to hitchhike instead of calling for magical help. They figured they should get back to camp and regroup, then continue. It wasn’t too much of a loss; their main lead on Aphrodite’s headpiece had been a fluke. 

They didn’t speak much as they trudged along the gravel shoulder of the highway. Percy suggested they wait at the gas station for a ride, but Nico argued that it was so slow they’d be there all day. The interstate itself had some traffic, though. Percy made a few jokes about showing some leg. Nico hummed over his attempts to ask more personal questions, so he just ended up talking to him about marine biology. Nico seemed at least sort of interested in this, asking about jellyfish or sunfish occasionally. 

Finally, at around ten-thirty, a sedan pulled up next to them. Percy squeaked with joy and Nico let out a sigh of relief. The passenger window rolled down and Percy jogged up. “Hey! Thanks for stopping, where you headed?”

“‘Bout a hundred miles down the interstate, little town called Amherst.” 

“Well, do you wanna give us a ride for those hundred miles?” Percy asked hopefully, putting on his least threatening expression. 

“What’s in it for me?” he asked, his features blank. Percy stiffened and found the grip of the steel knife in his belt with his left hand. In a matter of seconds the stranger’s air had gone from guarded to leery and suddenly, he wasn’t so sure if he wanted a ride after all. He realized he could feel Nico behind him, almost sucking the warmth out of the air on one side of him. 

“Well, we don’t have any money…” Percy racked his brain for other tradeable items they had. 

“What about pretty boy over here?” A predatory smirk slid over his features as he nodded at Nico. Percy clenched his jaw. He felt the gravel crackle underneath his feet as the living organisms in the soil beneath them all shriveled up at once. 

“You know,” Nico said loudly, barely concealing the threat in his voice. “We can wait for another ride, thanks.” When the guy started to protest, Nico shoved past Percy and leveled his glare on the creep. “We’re not interested,” he hissed. Percy had been on the receiving end of that particular glare before, and it was no surprise when the guy quickly changed his mind and pulled away. 

“You ok?” Percy said a minute after the car was gone. 

“Fine. I don’t particularly love creeps hitting on me.” They hiked along in silence a little more, until Nico asked about deep sea life. Percy immediately launched into a story about meeting one of those angler fish, like from Finding Nemo.

It was almost three when another car pulled up to them. Percy laughed out loud in relief, and also at the fact that the car was actually an old, decked out peace-and-love-style VW Bus. His arm was beyond tired and their feet both felt like fire. “Thank the gods,” Nico muttered, smiling a little. Once again, the passenger side window rolled down. 

“Hey man!” Percy said, greeting the young man in the driver’s seat. “Sweet ride!”

“Aw, man, thanks dude,” he said sincerely, gesturing to his heart. “Need a lift?”

“Yeah, where you headed?” Percy leaned his elbows on the edge of the window. 

“New York City, man!” Both boys let out exultant sounds of relief. 

“Us too, got room for two more?” Percy tried to make puppy eyes. 

“Yeah, dudes! Hop in the back, I’ve got my tunes up here in front.” He waved enthusiastically towards the rear of the van. They climbed in, gushing gratitude, and sat down on the tapestry covered couch-seat. “M’ name’s Ant, by the way,” he called out as he restarted the van. 

“I’m Percy, this is Nico.” Nico almost immediately leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Percy knew he wasn't sleeping, but he needed the rest so he let the younger boy be. 

Old, muffled music came from the front seat. He couldn’t identify it, but it sounded melancholy and melodic. Ant didn’t say anything to them, and Percy didn't feel the need to initiate anything so they rode in compatible silence for the first hour. 

There was an odd, almost cloying scent clinging to the fabric of the seats. Bittersweet in a way that sort of made Percy’s heart hurt a little. It made him think of Annabeth, and their breakup. They’d grown apart, she’d begun to fall for someone else, and it made more sense to break it off. He wasn’t sure if he still had feelings for her, but he missed having her there. Even when she wasn’t there entirely for him. 

“You ok there, man?” Nico murmured. He was looking at Percy with moon-like eyes, genuinely concerned. 

“What?” His voice was hoarse. “Yeah, I’m ok.” Had he been crying?

“You looked like you were gonna cry.”

“No, I’m fine. Seriously.” He smiled reassuringly and ruffled Nico’s hair. 

“Can I tell you something?” he asked cautiously. Percy was taken aback for a moment at Nico’s sudden desire to open up.

“Y-yeah, of course. I mean, don’t tell me any spoilers for the Bachelorette or anything…” he joked half-heartedly. 

“Well fuck, never mind then.” Nico rolled his eyes. “Seriously, though.” Percy gestured for him to continue. “There was a reason I was being so freaky about the… bed thing. I--fuck, why am I telling you this?” He frowned and Percy could almost see the walls going back up.

“You don’t have to,” he said, suddenly feeling very awkward. 

“No, I should. It’s just that, _fuck,_ you drive me crazy! It’s like, ‘oh, I care about you so much, i just want to get to know you, blah blah blah’ and then you have to go and have a freaking _girlfriend!_ ” Nico waited, staring with a new fire in his dark eyes while he waited for Percy to comprehend. His face remained blank and confused. Nico growled in frustration. “You’re so fucking oblivious sometimes, Jackson!” He threw up his hands and turned around, curling into a sheepskin pillow. 

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said after a few minutes. Nico twisted back around, and this time it was his turn to be confused. “I don’t have a girlfriend anymore. Annabeth and I… didn’t work out.” Something snapped and Nico whirled, clutching the seat beneath him. 

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a girlfriend, jackass!” he said forcefully. He was speaking quietly, but Percy recoiled as if he had been yelling. “It doesn’t matter, and you wanna know _why?_ Because _you_ are never gonna be into someone like _me_ , and I’m wasting my goddamn time, but I can’t get over your stupid ass!”

“Wha… why wouldn’t I be into someone like you?” 

“Because I’m a guy, idiot, and you’re not into guys, obviously.”

“I’m not _not_ into guys,” Percy said quietly. This stopped Nico’s rage in its tracks. 

“You… you what?”

“I mean, I’ve never dated a guy or anything, but like. I can appreciate. The, uh. The male figure. And stuff.” At this point they were both cherry red and unblinking. "I mean, who doesn't want to make out with Jason?" 

“You… and you just… didn’t tell me?”

“It’s not like you told me,” he said defensively. They didn’t say anything for five minutes while both boys tried to collect their thoughts. 

“So,” Nico finally said. “I like you. In case that wasn’t clear. Just putting that on the table.”

“I think,” Percy hesitated, drawing out his words. “That maybe we could go on a date when we finish this quest?” Nico turned even paler for a moment. 

“Are you serious?” Percy shrugged his broad shoulders. “That sounds… good.” 

Percy winked and clicked his tongue, making finger guns at the younger demigod.

"You're an idiot, Percy Jackson," Nico scoffed with a smile. 

His face fell a little bit. "M'not." 

"Sorry."

"Everyone calls me oblivious and stupid as a joke because my ADD is so awful, even for a half-blood, but m'not," he mumbled, staring at the floor of the van. 

"I don't think you're an idiot. Oblivious, yeah, but just 'cause teenage boys are oblivious. It comes with the territory," Nico said, elbowing Percy gently. He snorted. "I'm serious. There's a reason I, uh, look up to you." 

Percy met Nico's gaze. "Did you know you have gray and gold in your eyes?" Percy blurted. He'd never noticed how the inky black of his big irises was actually threaded with metallic colors.

"I did know that, actually. Mirrors are pretty helpful." Percy leaned in, watching the dim light refract off the tiny steaks. 

"Wow, it's actually really coo--" the van went over a pothole, and suddenly their teeth were clacking together and their noses were colliding and their lips were smashing against each other's in the clumsiest kiss either of them had ever experienced. They both jolted back, tomato-red and stammering. Neither could make a coherent sentence, so they just sat in their seats and didn't look at each other. 

“All done duking it out there, boys?” Ant’s lazy voice came from the front of the van. Nico squeaked as Percy felt his stomach sink straight to his knees. “‘Cause if you are, I have something for you.” He reached over to the front seat and tossed something wrapped in blue linen into Percy’s lap. Percy cautiously unwrapped it, Nico leaning over to see what it was. 

The first thing they noticed was a strong wave of vetiver hitting their noses. It appeared to be a rose-gold comb, covered in detailed roses and lilies and inlaid with garnets, opals, and carnelians. “Is this…” Nico flew forward, bronze knife already in hand. He yanked Ant’s head against the headrest, pressing the flat of the blade against his throat. 

“Who are you? Where did you get that?” 

“Whoa there, little man,” he said, calm and quiet. “I’m Anteros. Son of Aphrodite. She gave it to me to hold while you guys figured out all your issues.” He sounded incredibly zen, even under Nico’s blade. 

"Bullshit. Where did you get it?"

"I gave it to him, he told you." Percy and Nico's nerves were already stretched taut, and a random woman appearing in the passenger seat was too much. The engine died and sputtered out at the exact moment all the water bottles in the van exploded with a loud _pop_. Anteros maneuvered the van onto the shoulder. 

"Whoa there, calm down boys," she said. Percy realized with a sinking feeling that Aphrodite herself was sitting in the front seat, dressed in hiking gear. 

"Not this again," he grumbled. "No more meddling in my love life." 

"But it's so much fun! And plus, now you've got a date lined up. I made reservations for you this Friday!"

"You... you planned all this?" Nico said in disbelief. 

"No! I just gave a few nudges in the right direction. Like the candle burning on the dashboard." She winked. Nico squinted at it and breathed in deeply. 

"You _manipulative_ b--" Percy cleared his throat. "Ugh! I know this oil, it makes you tell the truth!" Nico yelled. 

"And look how well it turned out for you!" Neither boy had anything to say to that, so Aphrodite shrugged, reached for her headpiece and opened the door to get out. "Oh, and Nico, I believe you'll be able to shadow travel again. My apologies for that particular enchantment." Nico fumed silently as she stepped out and disappeared into thin air. Percy placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. 

"Let's go," he muttered tightly, gripping Percy's wrist and launching them out into the forest by the roadside. 

"Good luck boys!" Anteros called after them. Nico kept stomping farther into the trees before stopping in the shadow of a large one. 

"Come on. Maybe we'll still get there in time for dinner." Percy stared at him for a minute, then made a split-second decision. 

"Yeah, one thing," he said. Before Nico could react, he cupped his jaw with his big hand and pressed their lips together, gentle and chaste. Nico gasped against Percy's mouth, then gave in and wove his arms around his neck. Percy backed him up to the tree, but instead of hitting solid bark, they fell right through and landed on hard marble. Percy managed to catch himself before his muscle mass crushed Nico. 

"Holy shit, nice going Nico," came a familiar voice from somewhere to their right. They looked over, faces hot, to see a clump of campers early for dinner. Jason and Piper were among them, and Annabeth was a few feet behind. Jason's face split into a huge grin. 

"Hi, guys," Percy said, trying to act cool while still suspending himself over Nico, who was now curled up with his hands over his face. 

They reported to Chiron and were only a little late for dinner. Percy sat with Jason as usual, but this time, Nico sat beside him. The handsome blond was polite enough not to immediately harass them about what happened. Nico was still wound tight as a spring, but as Percy leaned into his shoulder he felt the tension leaving. 

"Hey, it's ok." When Nico finally smiled, Percy wondered why he'd never noticed how nice of a smile it really was.

**Author's Note:**

> Love you, errebody. Send me some love on [my tumblr](cosmicbuckys.tumblr.com) or leave a comment! I'm sorry this took like 23 months.
> 
> -Hayes


End file.
